How to free yourself from your fears

Would you believe it if someone told you that you could free yourself from your worst fears in just a matter of hours, or that, with just a few light touches, something you have gone through would no longer make you feel pain? If your answer is ‘no’, then it’s time you got to know EFT.

There are phobias so severe that they can prevent you from leading a normal life. For example, not going outside because you are afraid of cats, not being able to walk in crowds or having a fear of water are phobias that can make life very difficult, simple though they may seem.

Then there are things that cause pain, that are a result of past experiences and affect the future, like the trauma caused by losing someone or the heartache caused by a break-up. What if we were to tell you that these types of fears and emotional pains could be effaced in just one to two hours?

With EFT or Emotional Freedom Techniques this is possible. What is more, it does not require that you go inside a machine out of a science fiction film that erases all the data in your brain. By tapping important points on your body your fears or past are addressed and these fears and memories are wiped out.

EFT, which was introduced in Turkey just seven years ago, is a method that was developed by American engineer and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) expert Gary Craig, based on American clinical psychologist Roger Callahan’s ‘Thought Field Therapy’.

Roger Callahan’s story goes like this:
“For many years, Callahan researches Eastern philosophies and techniques in addition to conventional psychotherapy. When a patient he is treating with a water phobia tells him, ‘Just the thought of water makes me feel sick to the stomach!’ he comes up with the idea of tapping the meridian that is linked directly with the stomach. Tapping this meridian, located just beneath the eye, immediately rids the patient of his nausea. What is more surprising is that the patient’s water phobia, for which he has been receiving treatment for one and a half years without much success, disappears miraculously. Unable to believe this, Callahan proposes that his patient go to the nearest swimming pool. The patient, who was previously unable to go anywhere near water, excitedly splashes his face with the water from the pool. Thus Callahan develops this method. Gary Craig, for his part, simplifies it and looks for a solution whereby a single technique can be used to cure all problems.

I first applied the method to myself

We spoke to İpek Cihan Bilgin, one of the first people to apply the technique in Turkey, about EFT.

She told us how she became acquainted with EFT:
“I first discovered the technique in a book. Then I tried the method on myself and I saw that it yielded miraculous results. You use it against negative feelings and all your anger is lost instantly. I decided to get training for the method and help people with it. Reiki was known at that time but people did not know EFT. Gary Craig trained me in technique.”

When you learn this technique, can you apply it to yourself?

After you receive training, you can apply what you have learned wherever you want for the rest of your life. All you need in order to do this are your fingers. You can learn the technique in just one day. The human being is an entity that consists of energy; it is made up of atoms and molecules. Everything is connected. Negative emotions get trapped in this field of energy. EFT is about releasing this. The thing we call anger is actually trapped energy. EFT allows it to escape and turn into light. There are certain meridian points in the body and EFT uses 14 of these. These points are found on the fingers and face. Every topic has a specific sentence that goes with it. The sentence needs to be formed according to the emotion you want to rid yourself of.

Is EFT certain to succeed?

The success rate is very high, from 80-90 percent. The individual’s willingness is extremely important in this technique.

In which areas can EFT be employed? Its uses are wide-ranging. It is particularly effective on phobias. You can use it against any type of negative emotion. You can rid yourself of phobias towards cats, dogs. Flying or heights with EFT. It is also useful in separations. For example, someone who is suffering because of a separation from their spouse or partner can rid themselves of emotional pain using this method. People who lose someone close may experience traumatic bereavement.

The method is also effective against this type of trauma. With EFT you can get rid of everything from anger or guilt to feelings of missing someone. It is also effective on additions like chocolate, cigarettes or alcohol. It is possible to be rid of these within a matter of minutes, or a maximum of one or two hours. It is also used against school-related stress. It is very effective at dealing with negative situations related to a child’s approach to school, such as a phobia towards mathematics or anxiety about exams.

It is different from other techniques

EFT is a very quick technique. It can rid an individual of their issues within minutes, without the need for years of therapy. Of course the length of the process depends on what the person has been through and what they want to achieve. Another difference is that one is not dependent on another person; one can perform the technique on oneself. The other advantages are that it does not have any side effects and that the emotions it renders positive are of a permanent nature.

What is it good for?

For example, people suffering from a cat phobia generally cannot go out to eat. This leaves a major void in their lives. After using this method, some people are even able to touch cats. The psychological aspect of alcoholism can also be cured. It is necessary to see a doctor about the physical harm it causes, but the reasons behind the addiction can be cleared away. There are even people who are addicted to ice cream who use the technique. They may eat up to two tubs of ice cream a day. The feeling of loneliness is usually what lies beneath this problem. This feeling can be made to disappear. EFT is also recommended as a complimentary treatment for people who suffer from panic attacks.

Concerning the past…

Techniques besides EFT are used to clean the life space. For different reasons, energy fields can contract. While it is possible with EFT to get rid of fears, addictions and anger stemming from life experiences, another technique, called ‘Spreading Light into the Life Space’. Is used for ‘bad’ habits that run in the family genetically. So the excuse “What can I do. I was raised this way’ leaves our lives for good. What is the purpose of the technique? We live in a time where everything happens so quickly that it is incredibly difficult to keep up. There is a great need for healing. The first step is to be aware of these things. It is absolutely crucial that people are aware of themselves and their emotions. These methods help people find solutions to their problems. If people are self-aware, they can achieve a more comfortable life without great difficulty. The goal is to establish a more peaceful and pleasurable life. The techniques are just a means to achieve that goal.